Ah… The Antoinette Perry’s

Tonight, we honor the toast of Broadway. I will just touch on some of the highlights.

In the much coveted Best Musical we have Green Day’s American Idiot, Fela!, Memphis, and Million Dollar Quartet. Best Musical Revival nods go to… Finian’s Rainbow, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music, and Ragtime.I think both catergories will come down to two. I think B. M. will come down to Fela! and American Idiot. Revival will be either La Cage or Night Music. They both have been getting a bunch of press. I would like to see Finian walk away with it but alas…
Can you imagine The Addam’s Family with Nathan Lane as Gomez (only 2 nods and the king of Broadway is not one)? Bebe Neuwirth is Morticia.
Scarlett Johansson just won her first statue for her role in the revival of A View from the Bridge. Ever since she was a little girl, she had dreamed of being on Broadway. WOW! Sounds like someone I know all too well. From Iron Man to Broadway.
Ricky Martin is going to be in Evita? He was on Broadway in Les Miserables? Aren’t we about tired of the jukebox musical? This year we have Frank Sinatra in Come Fly with Me (I think it is actually Ol’ Blu Eyes set to dance… eh. Plus we have the Million Dollar Quartet who were the back up singers for everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to Elvis to Johnny Cash.
Oh, boy… Will and Jada Smith. Perhaps to dote on their son’s breakout performance in The Kung Fu Kid. I’ve actually heard mixed comments on that one. Think I’ll wait until Netfix gets it in about 3 months. So, get them over with already! AH… two of the producers for Fela!
Back to La Cage. In Junior High, I remember that my English/Lit teacher took a trip to New York to see the show. Unaware of the show’s plot, she and her husband walked out prior to intermission. I believe that it may be the big winner of the night. It is tied with Fela! with 11 noms. And Kelsey Grammer just lead his line of “lovelies” in The Best of Times (probably the only thing I really know about the show aside from the obvious).
Superior Donuts? I’ve never heard of it, either. And the play did not win its one nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
I must say that I am more interested in the plays of this year’s season. I don’t think the musicals are much to get excited over (coming from me, can you believe it?!). I have read August Wilson’s Fences (up for a number of awards) and The Piano Lesson. Both remarkable plays and ones that I have little chance of being in unless we have a color-blind casting director. Denzel Washington is up for best actor in a play along with Jude Law (Hamlet), Alfred Molina (Red), Liev Schrieber (A View from the Bridge), and Christopher Walken (A Behanding in Spokane). Denzel must have gone from The Book of Eli (on DVD Tuesday) to New York. WOO HOO! DENZEL WINS!!! And the play itself wins Best Revival! HOOray!
Yep… In the Next Room or… The Vibrator Play is exactly what it sounds like. The invention of… well use your imagination.
The Grande Dame of the theatre, the first honorary chairperson of the theatre wing… Ms. Angela Lansbury. And she was beaten in the Best Featured Actress in a Musical category.
Focus on that one thing. Don’t let anyone stand in your way. Don’t listen to anybody else. You will meet the right people (I have), teachers (still looking), circumstances (so far, so good… if you consider CT in NWO good which it is, but…).
Mark Sanchez from the New York Jets?! That is too COOL! Presenting the cast of Memphis.
I see that Valerie Harper is up for Best Actress (Play) in Looped based on the life of Tallulah Bankhead. Neither Rhoda nor her 70s tv competition… Linda Lavin (“Alice”) were winners. But Viola Davis won for Fences… YAY!
Does anyone else find Kristin Chenoweth to be somewhat annoying. I maybe in the minority but perhaps its that voice.
“Send in the Clowns” Catherine Zeta-Jones. 80th birthday of Sondheim. A Little Night Music is up for four… already lost its first. Never understood the show. I always thought it was overrated.
Father’s Day and the Tony Awards are presented by Wal*Mart?! OMG… it really is taking over! Whatever happened to Wal*Martopia?
Annie is being revived yet again in 2012 (is that 35 years?). Too late to audition for one of my favorite parts?
10 o’clock… one hour to go.
Best Choreography… YUCK! I admire those that can and do… those who can’t… sing. Those who do neither? I’ll just be Sean Hayes (Promises, Promises) sitting at the desk, working while the dancers do their thing around me. Fela! wins that one.. jumps ahead of La Cage with two.
In Memorium… Lynn Redgrave, Rue McClanahan, Dixie Carter, and Larry Gelbart (co writer of …Forum, creator for television of M*A*S*H) were four of those that I knew of.
Best Play… Red
I haven’t become a Glee(k). But two of the stars were on singing “All I Need is the Girl” (Gypsy, I believe). And “Don’t Rain on My Parade” (I forget the show 😉 No real reason but to promote the tv show.
American Idiot (the show based on Green Day’s album) set to perform soon. 25 to go… scheduled, anyway… we’ll see how close they cut it. Is it just me or is Green Day trying to come up with the next Rent?
Spider-Man coming on singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” muffled by his mask. Someday, somehow… he is set to make his Broadway debut this season. I’ll believe it when I (don’t) see it. The concept seems ridiculous. I love the character. I think the post shows my extreme dislike of theatre. However passionate I am of both… they should not be allowed to combine!
La Cage aux Folles wins Best Revival of a Musical.
14 minutes to go…
Best Leading Actress/Actor in a Musical presented by two non-nominees (Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane). Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Little Night Music). Actor: Douglas Hodge (La Cage aux Folles)
One to go… five minutes and a final performance? Hmmm… welll… I don’t think there was a big winner of the night but I’m glad that Fences won so many well deserved awards. I haven’t seen the show but it was a good read.
MEMPHIS WINS BEST MUSICAL!? What an upset! Dark horse, definitely! WOW!

Well… I hope I haven’t bored any of my faithful readers and hopefully, I gain a few! Good night.. congrats to the winners! Bravo to Broadway!